Ablaut
Revision as of 09:33, 31 October 2007 by Haspelmath (talk | contribs) (New page: '''Ablaut''' refers to the system of root vowel alternations in Proto-Indo-European and its daughter languages. There existed the following variants or "grades" of ablaut: *[[ful...)
Ablaut refers to the system of root vowel alternations in Proto-Indo-European and its daughter languages.
There existed the following variants or "grades" of ablaut:
- full grade, or "e" grade,
- full grade with ablaut, or "o" grade
- lengthened grade
- lengthened grade with ablaut
- zero grade.
The results of this alternation can be seen in the following related words of modern English (listed in the same order as the above grades): sit, sat, seat, soot, nest; and also in the English strong verb system.
Synonnym
Origin
The term ablaut was borrowed from German Ablaut, coinded by Jacob Grimm in the early part of the 19th century.
Other languages
French métaphonie German Ablaut (de)
